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A unique feature along the coast of Western Australia, where
water surges through a "horizontal waterfall," is part of a new
Australian national park and marine park declared by the national
government along the scenic shoreline.

The new park is situated in the Kimberley region, the
northernmost part of the state of Western Australia. The region
is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the
Timor Sea, on the east by the Northern Territory and on the south
by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts.

Despite its name, the Horizontal Falls are a coastal feature that
isn't a waterfall at all — it is a set of parallel gorges with
narrow openings through which seawater rushes with the ebb and
flow of the tide, in a waterfall-like
effect. They are located within Talbot Bay on the Buccaneer
Peninsula.

"The extraordinary Horizontal Falls are an internationally
renowned tourist attraction and it is imperative we maintain the
pristine environment that surrounds them," said Western Australia
Premier Colin Barnett in a statement.

Both the
national park and marine park will be designated Class A by
the government, which gives them the highest level of protection,
according to the Western Australia government statement.

While the final borders of the parks have yet to be determined,
the marine park would cover about 1,160 square miles (3,000
square kilometers) and would protect coral reefs, dolphins and
mangrove forests, the statement said. The new marine park will
expand the Great Kimberley Marine Park to 10,000 square miles
(26,000 square km).

"Protecting the Kimberley coast and its marine and bird life
provides a balance to the rapid spread of mining and other
industrial development," John Carey, the Pew Environment Group's
Kimberley Conservation Project director, told the
Australian Associated Press.